Maggie Marshall Dog Training

11/05/2026

Raising a Puppy? Have a Plan! 🐾

Bringing home a puppy is exciting, but raising one without a plan often leads to frustration, confusion, and unwanted habits.

Before you bring that puppy home, ask yourself a few important questions:

1. What do I want and NOT want? Make a list of the behaviors you want to encourage and those you don’t want to become habits.
2. What’s developmentally appropriate? Your puppy is a baby! Understand what she’s capable of learning and what expectations are unrealistic for her age.
3. What will I teach first? Prioritize the skills that matter most and decide what order makes sense. You can’t teach everything at once!
4. How will I respond when she’s wrong? Decide how you’ll prevent mistakes, interrupt unwanted behavior, redirect her, and teach her what to do instead. Be prepared to respond consistently.
5. What equipment will I use and why? Crates, leashes, gates, collars, and other tools should each serve a purpose in your training plan.

Don’t wait for problems to develop before deciding how to handle them.

A puppy doesn’t come into your home knowing your expectations. It’s your responsibility to teach her.

A little planning now can prevent months of frustration later.

Raise your puppy with intention, not just hope!

When we learn, our dogs will listen.

Maggie Marshall Dog Training 🐾

11/03/2026

Stop waiting for your dog to be trained before you start taking them places!

I hear it all the time. “I’d love to take my dog everywhere with me, but I need to get him trained first.”

Here’s what I want you to understand. Taking your dog places is part of the training!

I think sometimes we put it off because, frankly, it’s a struggle in the beginning. The pulling, the distractions, the excitement, the embarrassment when things don’t go as planned. It’s easier to leave the dog at home.

But that’s procrastination, not progress!

Training takes effort. It’s awkward at first. You’re learning, your dog is learning, and neither of you is particularly good at it yet.

But practice changes everything!

Start small. Choose appropriate places. Have a plan. Practice the skills you’ve learned. Build on your successes.

The more you do it, the easier it gets. And one day, you’ll realize that taking your dog along is no longer a struggle. It’s a pleasure!

If you want a dog who can go places with you, start taking the steps to make that happen TODAY.

When we learn, our dogs will listen.

Maggie Marshall Dog Training

11/02/2026

Exercise.
Rest.
Cuddle.
Play.
Explore.
Eat.
Make friends.
Smell stuff.
Stop and look around.
Be happy.

10/30/2026

Training your dog empowers YOU!

Learning just a few important skills can completely change your everyday life with your dog.

When you know how to communicate clearly, stop unwanted behavior and guide your dog through everyday situations, you feel more confident and capable.

Less frustration. Less worry. More freedom, safety and enjoyment for both of you.

You don’t need to know everything. You just need to learn a few things that make a big difference!

When we learn, our dogs will listen.

10/29/2026

Do not remember signing up for this 😅

10/28/2026

Want Your Dog to Listen? Learn to Communicate Clearly! 🐾

One of the biggest mistakes dog owners make is talking too much and doing too little. Dogs don’t understand conversations the way people do. They learn through clear communication, consistent actions, and repetition.

Here are my top 3 tips for better communication with your dog:

1. Fewer Words, More Action!
Stop explaining, negotiating, and repeating yourself. Dogs learn from what we consistently do, not how much we say. Show your dog what you mean!

2. Say Your Command ONE Time!
“Sit, sit, SIT!” doesn’t make your message clearer. It teaches your dog that the first word doesn’t matter. Say it once, give your dog an opportunity to respond, and follow through with the skills you’ve learned.

3. FOLLOW YOUR TRAINER’S INSTRUCTIONS!
You’re paying a professional to teach you how to communicate with your dog. Practice what you’ve learned! Consistency matters. If you keep returning to your old habits, your dog will too.

Remember, good communication isn’t about talking more. It’s about making yourself easier to understand.

When we learn, our dogs will listen. 🧡💚

Maggie Marshall Dog Training

10/25/2026

Relax! Your puppy is allowed to explore the world with their mouth!

Puppies pick things up. Sticks, leaves, grass, dirt, and all sorts of interesting things they discover along the way. It’s a normal part of being a puppy!

But I often see owners panic the moment their puppy picks something up. They rush over, pry open the puppy’s mouth, and pull the item out.

Be careful what you’re teaching!

When you constantly chase your puppy and take things away, you may actually teach them that these items are valuable and worth protecting. Some puppies learn to run away, clamp down harder, or swallow things quickly before you can take them.

You’ve now created a problem where there wasn’t one before!

Of course, genuinely dangerous items need to be removed safely. But a puppy carrying a harmless leaf or investigating a stick doesn’t always require your intervention.

Instead of micromanaging every little thing, teach your puppy the skills they need.

Teach them to come when called, drop what they’re holding, leave things alone when asked, and trust you when you approach.

Learn to recognize what’s dangerous and what’s simply normal puppy behavior.

Your job isn’t to control every moment of your puppy’s life. It’s to teach them how to navigate the world safely.

Relax, pay attention, and choose your battles wisely.

When we learn, our dogs will listen.

10/23/2026

Are you raising your dog with intention and a plan, or with hope and a dream?

There’s a big difference.

The dog owner with hope and a dream hopes the puppy will outgrow the biting, the jumping, the barking, and the destruction. They dream of a dog who listens, walks nicely on a leash, comes when called, and behaves around guests.

They want a wonderful dog, but they have no real plan for creating one.

The dog owner with intention and a plan knows what kind of relationship they want with their dog and takes responsibility for building it.

They establish rules and boundaries. They learn how to communicate clearly. They practice skills, manage unwanted behaviors, and make training part of everyday life.

They don’t wait for problems to disappear. They address them.

Both owners love their dogs. Both want the same wonderful outcome.

The difference is what they’re willing to do to achieve it.

A well-trained dog isn’t the result of wishing, waiting, or getting lucky. It’s the result of knowledge, intention, consistency, and effort.

Hope is not a training plan.

If you have a dream for the life you want to share with your dog, I’d love to help you turn it into a plan.

Maggie Marshall Dog Training

When we learn, our dogs will listen.

10/22/2026

If you want your dog to potty outside, why are you teaching him to potty inside?

P*e pads can be confusing for a puppy. You’re providing a place for him to go in your house.

Dogs learn through consistency. If your goal is for your dog to use the grass, start teaching that from day one.

Take him outside frequently, supervise him indoors, manage his freedom, and celebrate when he gets it right!

Don’t teach a habit you’ll have to undo later.

When we learn, our dogs will listen. 🐾

10/21/2026